St. Pete I: Richard Antinucci preview

RICHARD ANTINUCCI TAKES THE LEAD IN THE FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS STANDINGS
BY 6 POINTS OVER ST. PETERSBURG 100 WINNER RAPHAEL MATOS
Starting from the front row the Sam Schmidt Motorsport driver posts
second successive runnerup finish after series...

RICHARD ANTINUCCI TAKES THE LEAD IN THE FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS STANDINGS
BY 6 POINTS OVER ST. PETERSBURG 100 WINNER RAPHAEL MATOS

Starting from the front row the Sam Schmidt Motorsport driver posts
second successive runnerup finish after series opener

Richard Antinucci has climbed on top of the Firestone Indy Lights
points standings, stacking up the points picked at Homestead-Miami
on 29th March and 40 more after taking second place in the St. Pete 100
today. The previous leader, Briton Dillon Battistini, was sidelined just
past the half-race mark by mechanichal trouble while lying 11th.

Antinucci had a relatively uneventful afternoon at the 1.8-mile street
course, where he confirmed his starting position. Pole sitter Raphael
Matos of Brazil was able to score a lights-to-lights win without ever
having to relinquish the top spot. In the early stages the Brazilian of
the AFS/Andretti Green stable was never far away from the #7 Lucas Oil
Dallara, but a couple of full course yellow had been brought out by lap 7
bunching up the field. At the second restart Sam Schmidt Motorsport
female driver Ana Beatriz Figuereido was able to grab second place, and
while the two were battling for the runnerup spot Matos opened up a small
margin. When Antinucci overtook Ana Beatriz on Lap 17 Matos was a second
clear of the posse, but by lap 30 he was then enjoying a cushion of
3-plus second. The Italian-American driver following effort therefore was
focusing more on the box score which was granting him his first
ever series lead than on edging the red-yellow leading car.

After the race Antinucci paid tribute to the effort of his
Brazilian rival: "Matos has been on top during the free practice, in
qualifying and in the race as well, one has to give him and his team
credit for that. It looks like today the Brazilians were in superb shape
here in St. Pete, if you gave them any room they were gone. Ana Beatriz
did just that on me when I made a stupid mistake on Lap 7, I got stuck in
third gear and went wide at the exit of the hairpin just before the
restart. She did a good job passing me. I even tried to make it hard for
her, but she was just very good. After that, I had to wait to pass her
back. We had that (local) yellow flag that kind of slowed things up. Once
we got around that, I knew I could pass her if everything was right. Once
I got through I pulled clear. But s far as Raphael is concerned I could
just try to keep the gap as small as possible. I think he had a couple of
tenths on me; he's had them all weekend. Tomorrow race will be tricky,
with the reverse grid you can expect anything."